Brady, Reichert Praise WTO Findings in Boeing Dispute

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Dave Reichert (R-WA) today issued the following statements praising today’s findings by a World Trade Organization (WTO) compliance panel regarding a longstanding dispute with the European Union over aircraft subsidies. The panel rejected 28 out of 29 of the European Union’s claims that the United States provides WTO-inconsistent subsidies to Boeing.

As Chairman Brady said:

“Today’s report is a decisive victory for the American aerospace industry and its workers in one of the longest trade disputes in modern history. For decades, the European Union has provided tens of billions of dollars worth of illegal subsidies to Airbus at the expense of American companies like Boeing and aerospace workers. The EU has continued to justify its subsidies by falsely claiming the need to offset alleged illegal subsidies by the United States. Today’s decision puts to rest that excuse – once and for all.”

Subcommittee Chairman Reichert said:

“Because the EU does not play by the rules, American aerospace employees have not been able to compete on a level playing field. In rejecting virtually all claims made by the European Union, today’s decision makes clear that the U.S. complies with the rules but the EU does not—the EU continues to provide nearly $22 billion in illegal subsidies, jeopardizing American jobs. Thank you to USTR for its commitment to the tens of thousands of workers employed by the aerospace industry in my home state of Washington, and thanks to the WTO for calling out the EU for this unfairness.”